Shakespeare is widely known for his extensive vocabulary and use of language, and now linguists have identified the exact number of words the Bard used in his works. A new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed that Shakespeare used 17,677 words in his writing, 7,677 of which were unique, and 2,035 of which he used only once. This is a remarkable achievement considering he wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets in his lifetime.

For those of us who are fascinated by the Bard’s use of language, these findings are particularly exciting. It’s incredible to think that in a time before there were dictionaries, Shakespeare was able to create such a richly detailed and varied vocabulary. Even more impressive is that he was able to create such unique words and phrases that are still used today. It’s no wonder why he is still regarded as one of the greatest writers of all time.

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source: Phys.org